The Board denied the Veteran's request for an effective date earlier than February 3, 2018 for the award of service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder with major depressive disorder. The decision stated that there was no basis for such a date due to the laws and regulations regarding reopening claims based on new evidence.
The deciding factor: The Board found that an effective date earlier than February 3, 2018 is not allowed under the applicable laws and regulations because the Veteran's claim was reopened based on new evidence submitted after August 2016, which became final when denied in that decision. The denial of PTSD as a service-connected condition also precluded any earlier effective date.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Major depressive disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- August 22, 2019
- Citation
- 19165282
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 19165282.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board granted initial ratings of 40 percent for lumbar spine disorder, 70 percent for major depressive disorder, and 40 percent for left lower extremity radiculopathy. TDIU and SMC based on housebound status were also granted.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, currently diagnosed as other specified trauma and stressor related disorder and major depressive disorder.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) but denied service connection for PTSD and a higher rating for the unspecified trauma and stressor related disorder/major depressive disorder/insomnia.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to an unclear employment history and a pre-decisional duty to assist error.
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